The Election Commission is all set to begin talks with political parties from today to gain their trust over Electronic Voting Machines.

The commission would hold views-exchange programmes on the EVMs with all 39 registered political parties in three phases.

Representatives of 13 political parties, including the opposition in the parliament Jatiya Party, are invited to sit with the EC today, SM Asaduzzaman, joint secretary to the EC, told The Daily Star.

The commission also had sent an invitation to sit with the opposition BNP and 12 other political parties on June 19.

It sent an invitation to sit with the ruling Awami League and another 12 political parties on June 28.

With the next parliamentary elections just one and a half years away, fresh debates over the EVMs have taken the centre stage in the political arena.

The debate over EVMs surfaced after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also the ruling Awami League chief, at an AL Central Working Committee meeting on May 7, said the EVMs would be used in all 300 parliamentary constituencies during the next general polls, according to insiders.

Since then, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal on subsequent occasions said the EC was yet to make a final decision regarding the use of EVMs in the next general election.

The BNP has long been opposing the use of EVMs, saying the devices would allow the ruling party to "steal votes".

Several civil society members and eminent citizens, in recent talks organised by the EC, also advised against EVMs unless there is a national consensus.

Amid this situation, information technology experts, while taking part in a views exchange programme on May 25, said EVM manipulation was almost impossible.

EC officials said the EC invited Jatiya Party, Jatiya Party (JP), Krishak Sramik Janata League, Bangladesh National Awami Party, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), Zaker Party, Bangladesh Muslim League, Gono Forum, Gano front, Bangladesh Jaitya Party, Bangladesh Nationalist Front and Bangladesh Congress on today's event.

For June 19's discussion, EC invited Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan, Bangladesh People's Party, Jamiote Ulamaye Islam Bangladesh, Islamic Front Bangladesh, Bangladesh Kalyan Party, Islami Oikyjote, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Bangladesh Islami Front, Khelafat Majlish and Bangladesh Muslim League.

For June 28's views exchange the commission invited Bangladesh Awami League, Bangladesh Tarikat Federation, Bangladesher Samyabadi Dal (ML), Communist Party of Bangladesh, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Ganatantry Party, Workers Party of Bangladesh, Biklapadhara Bangladesh, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Jasod), Socialist Party of Bangladesh, Bangladesh National Awami Party (Bangladesh NAP), Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Sangiskritik Muktijote.

Meanwhile, a senior BNP leader yesterday said they would not join the discussion on EVM.

The incumbent EC is doing nothing but carrying out the "instructions" of government, he said.

Contacted, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said they were yet to get the letter from EC.

"We will take a decision only after receiving the letter."